Broken Wings
by hayylies
Summary: Emily's home life was never good with Joe around, but now his abuse jeopardizes her career when Sasha begins to suspect something's wrong. And with the Olympics looming, she's in over her head.


Disclaimer: I don't own Make It or Break It or any of the characters other than the ones I create.

The World's were approaching and the Rock girls had never trained harder in their entire lives. Emily, Payson, Lauren and Kaylie were working their butts off, training over eight hours a day. The girls were young, not terribly but only seventeen. Emily's life had changed the most since the aftermath of France. Her mom, Chloe, had married Joe, her millionaire ex-boyfriend. She now had a yellow Corvette, a cell phone, and an iTouch, as well a credit card, all courtesy of Joe. Emily had grown out her hair so it reached her waist. Weighing only 81.4 lbs and 5' 2", and only seventeen, she was the most flexible and agile gymnast out of the original 'Rock Rebels'. Payson hadn't changed, other than upping her DOD back to where it had been before her accident, and reaching even higher.

Kaylie no longer focused on Carter and took her gymnastics seriously, so seriously that she had become as serious as Payson. Lauren was still centered on Carter, and focused on being the center of the universe. Just like always.

"Emily, let's run over your floor routine again, before practice is done," Sasha Beloff called from where he was working with Payson.

She nodded and dismounted from the beam where she had been practicing. "Sure," she called wincing as she dismounted something that didn't go unnoticed by Sasha. She ran through her floor routine flawlessly. To Sasha and the other girls, it was as if the heart and soul of gymnastics was within Emily at that moment, ushering her along with grace and beauty. The gym was her sanctuary, they all could tell with all the time she spent here practicing for hours, even though practices were done for the day.

"Girls fall in. As you know the World's are approaching quickly, but before that come the last Nationals you will compete in before the 2012 Olympics. You girls have been training hard for this, and I don't want anything to jeopardize this for you. You are elite gymnasts, the best of the best. You can go toe to toe with China, Romania, France, most of the countries in the world and come out on top. Nationals are next week, and are taking place in New York. I expect nothing less than your best efforts from now until then. And on Monday cool down week begins. You can go, have a good weekend," Sasha lectured. "Emily I want to see you in my office. Don't forget your weigh-ins are tomorrow after practice." He walked to his office, Emily following him; once they were inside he shut and locked the door so they wouldn't be interrupted.

"Emily, are you alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I've noticed you limping, and wincing after dismounting. Last week you had trouble moving your back and neck. The week before that it was your shoulders. Now I don't even know."

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong, I just haven't slept well the past few nights."

"Really? Then why is there a bruise on your back the size of an orange, turning red, black and blue?"

"I- I fell… that's all," she stuttered.

"Then let me see it. I need to see if you are well enough to compete."

"I'm fine it's-," Emily began.

"Emily, look at me. Let me see your back," his British accent was so smooth, so commanding yet gentle, she had to oblige. He controlled her future. She pulled her leotard down, exposing her back for him to see. Her head lowered in shame as she remembered what he was seeing. Her bruises, cuts, scars, they all mottled her ivory skin, crisscrossing dipping down to the small of her back and traveling back up in a spiral pattern. Joe had called them works of art. She called it pain, mutilation, child abuse… there was a list of names for it.

Sasha's gasp interrupted her thoughts. "Emily how long has this been going on?"

"A few years. Whenever he was there, especially when he was drunk. It was fun to hear me scream," her mouth snapped shut. 'What did I just do?' she thought in a panic. Pulling her leotard up, she wrenched away from Sasha, fumbling with the lock on the door when he caught her arm.

"Emily-"

A slight whimper escaped her lips, as he grabbed her arm. His fingers felt the ivory flesh, as he pulled her back to him. His fingers felt rough jagged lines carved into her skin as he flipped her wrist over, staring at the markings carved into her arm. His eyes, piercing blue, stared into her dark chocolate brown eyes until she had to look away.

"Emily, why? Why did you do this to yourself?"

"You wouldn't understand. You know _nothing_ of my life. _Absolutely nothing_."

"Then tell me."

"He'll kill you."

Sasha couldn't stop her as she successfully unlocked the lock and raced down the stairs, away from him. 'God, Emily. You know I'm here for you. Why won't you let me in?' he thought.

It was late by the time they had finished talking, and everyone had left. Emily raced to the showers not bothering to look back at Sasha, as he ran to the railing trying to stop her. Calling her all the way to let him help her. 'He doesn't get it,' she thought shaking her head sadly. 'I only trust myself. I deserve everything I'm getting.'

The hot water washed over her aching body soothing the pain, washing it away. She was ashamed, overcome with exhaustion she fell to the floor sobbing uncontrollably, wishing for it to be over. For her life to end. Pulling out her razor, she was ready for it to end. The longing for freedom was to much to bear, knowing that when she came home, Joe would be drunk, as usual on a Thursday night. Silver met skin slicing through it easily, scarlet spattered the walls and mixed with the water. And she couldn't stop, knowing there was no pain, only safety.

Emily had been sitting in the shower too long for Sasha's liking. He knew something was wrong, it had been a gut feeling ever since she had raced out of his office. In the locker room he saw the thing he feared most. Emily clad only in a tank top and girls boxers, her hair pulled up in a loose bun, sitting against the wall of the shower, crimson blood from her arm mixing with scalding hot water.

"Emily…Emily… EMILY!" Sasha raced to the shower stall with blood trailing down into the drain, watching as her eyes fluttered shut.

"Sasha…I'm… sorry…" she breathed before falling unconscious.


End file.
